Mermaid Nomads
by FireKitsune313
Summary: A shocking transformation leaves the girls stunned at their newest change. This change comes with new powers, and new tails. But, this time, they can't return home. Having to abandon Mako for a time span of a year, they decide to explore the world. Only this time, they do it by Sea. But, if there is a moon pool in Ireland and Mako, who's to say there not any more?
1. From Teen to Adult: Mermaid Style!

**Hello, and thank you for putting interest in my stories. Ask any questions you like. Oh yes, The Mako Mermaids: Island of Secrets? It's main plot line, and 'born' mermaids won't interfere with the story. I might use some of the ideas, such as pods and maybe moon rings, but that's about it. No characters at all. ~FireKitsune313**

**Disclaimer: I do not own H2O: Just Add Water.**

**Bold: Empathized Words or Actions**

_Italic: 'Thoughts', "Mer Speech", dreams_

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><p><em>If there is one thing a mermaid was, it was a nomad. Traveling the Ocean's currents, and finding others of their kind. Once a fledgling mermaid finally matures, they acknowledge the Sea's hidden wishes, and embrace their true nature. And on they swim, singing the sea's song to the world, summoning others to the beautiful blues.<em>

**Prologue: The Change From Teen to Adult Mermaid Style**

**Location: Rikki's**

**Time: 2:54 PM **

_"I'm telling you Rikki, this moon isn't natural. It's the moon you were turned, and Miss Chatham left behind a note to warn you to stay out of the water on the full moon after your 18th birthday."_ texted a frustrated Lewis. Rikki rolled her eyes.

_"Your being unreasonable Lewis. You've been freaking out every since Cleo's birthday and three full moons have past." _Rikki texted rapidly. Cleo bit her lip nervously. "I don't know Rikki. He might be right on this one." she interjected, looking over the message. "Come on guys. We should all get along. Right Emma?" said Bella. Emma snorted, looking the two over. "She's right guys. You all should cool it and drink a slushy." she said coolly, delicately sipping her straw.

Emma had returned a few months ago for Cleo's 18th birthday. Although Bella and her didn't get along at first (Read: At all), they slowly grew to becoming friends, then best friends. Now they were just apart of the gang, with an added member of course. Lewis of course tried to reason out their behaviors with scientific theories of animalistic instincts, but a firm slap to his head by Rikki shut him up.

_"For Mako's sake Lewis, we are not going to hide from the moon tonight. In fact, I'm going to have a picnic over there!"_ she texted. Cleo gave her a nervous look. "I'll bring over your favorite sandwich, you know, the Italian meatball kind." Rikki bargained. Cleo sighed. "Fine." she muttered. "So we're meeting up at Mako tonight?" asked Bella. Emma nodded. "It seems that way." she murmured. _"Be careful, okay?" _asked Lewis.

_"Fine!"_ Rikki replied. Lewis was in America at the time at a marine biologist university. He still talked to them via Skype or texted or called on the phone. Being over a hundred miles away didn't stop Lewis from worrying though.

"Great! Emma do you want to come shopping with me?" chirped Rikki. Emma slid out of her seat. "Let's go." she said. "Oh, and Bella, could you and Cleo meet us at the dock? We're gonna need help carrying all of the things to Mako." Bella nodded. "I'll bring the Zodiac. Cleo could you help me?" Bella offered. Cleo nodded. "Sure."

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><p>The four girls split into pairs went separate ways. Rikki and Emma to the grocery store, Bella and Cleo to the docks. Rikki and Emma spent sometime searching for food, while Cleo and Bella went out and got the Picnic basket and blanket. Over all, it took the girls only a little over two hours and by that time it was <strong>6:04PM. <strong>The moon had finally risen, but for some reason all the girls avoided the sight of it.

In the pit of their stomachs they knew something was going to happen. They just knew it. It was the feeling of... _anticipation. _But Rikki was determined. They wouldn't let the moon ruin their fun. So, of they went. Gathering on the Zodiac, they voted Cleo would drive it to Mako, because she could use her powers to avoid the ocean's spray.

Diving off, the trio swam away, hurrying to Mako. Cleo of course, was left with the important task of driving the food. Being as close as Mako was, she only took about 15 minutes at the most getting to the island. It would have taken her shorter, but she had to deal with mist and waves trying to splash her. When she reached the shoreline she got up. Timing her jump to the waves, she jumped just as the waves pulled back. In her hand was a rope attached to the Zodiac.

Pulling it onto shore she hurriedly grabbed the picnic basket. Never looking back, Cleo disappeared into the Jungle of Mako. "I hope I'm not late." she whispered, darting in between the trees and bushes. She made it to the rock formation that held the land entrance to Mako island before it happened. She heard _it. _

_"I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue~_

_Listen~_

_Listen to the birds~_

_Listen to the Earth~"_

Cleo dropped the picnic basket. She had never heard of something so... _beautiful. _She knew, she _knew _now. It was time.

Scrambling up the rock formation, she jerkily walked to where she knew the opening to the moon pool was. Almost diving down the slide, she slowly descended into the moon pool's cave.

_Step..._

_Step... _

_Step..._

_Step._

She was a mere feet away from the moon pool.

_"Listen, Listen my dear kin~_

_Listen to the coral~_

_Listen to the sands~_

_May the currents guide you~"_

There were three other within the now bubbling moon pool. Rikki, Emma, and Bella.

_"Listen, Listen my dear kin~_

_Listen to the waves~_

_Listen to the winds~_

_May the currents guide you~"_

They were different now. There once shimmering gold tails had changed, evolved. They had gained their colors. _It's time to gain ours. _

_"Listen~_

_Listen my kin~_

_Listen to the animals~_

_Listen to the waters~_

_Follow my words~_

_Embrace you."_

Bella was the one singing. Her once gold tail was now a shimmering purple, full of undertones of blues and reds. Emma was humming. Her golden tail had changed to an icy blue. Rikki was thinking. Rikki's tail was a fiery red, with yellow tints within. Now, now it was _my _turn. With a single movement, I was submerged in water. On my stomach, a pair of gills emerged. My chewed on nails became sharper, growing an inch out. My brown eyes were transforming, turning into an exotic emerald green. Finally, my shimmering golden tail morphed, spiraling green scales forming their way up to my waist. **I blacked out.**

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><p><strong>6:47AM. <strong>I took in a raspy breath. Coughing, I forced water out of my lungs. '_What happened?' _"Emma? Cleo? Bella?" I asked weakly. "Rikki is that you?" whispered Cleo. "Cleo? Rikki?" asked Emma. "Am I the only one that feels like I got hit by a truck?" I muttered. "Rikki, you haven't been hit by a truck." Emma pointed out. "Guys, please be quiet. I have a migraine." hissed Bella.

...

"Does anyone know what happened last night?" asked Cleo. I frowned. "The last thing I remembered was looking up at the moo-...oh." I ended lamely. "So... we got moonstruck." stated Bella. "But-" Cleo interrupted, "Look at your tails!" she nearly shrieked. Eyes snapping open, I looked down in alarm at my tail. When I saw it I just gaped. _'Is that my tail!?' _Gone was the golden scales. Now, brilliant orange scale shone in the light, tints of red and yellow reflecting off of them. "Holy mother of- Rikki!" Emma interjected.

"I knew we should have listened to Lewis!" cried Cleo. I sighed, "Alright, lets dry off." Clenching my hand into a fist, steam began to slowly rise off of my tail. Then, there was a problem. "Why aren't you changing Rikki?" asked a worried Emma. "I don't -HOT!" I screeched. I was burning my tail. _I was burning my tail. _"What's wrong!?" snapped Emma. I stiffened up. "I burnt my tail."

"And!?" hissed a frustrated Emma. "I don't think we can change back." All three girls whipped their head to look at me the moment the words left my mouth. "WHAT!?" they shrieked. "Look, look at our bodies more carefully. We have gills now." whispered Cleo. "Oh my-" Bella interrupted. "Get a hang of yourself Cleo! We have to figure this out."

Cleo was near hyperventilating. A harsh smack was heard. Emma had smacked her. "Okay, so we can't change back. So what? We're gonna be okay." Emma reassured. "What about our families! We can't go back to them with a tail! What if we never change back!" We all flinched. "Guys, I think Cleo has a point." I muttered. "Miss Chatham warned us for a reason, and I think we found out why." I finished.

Cleo burst into sobs. Emma hugged her, looking grim. "What are we going to do if we're stick like this?" asked Bella. I snapped my fingers. "If we are stuck like this, then we best get used to it. If we can't go on land then we'll just live in the water." I stated grimly. "But that would mean..." Cleo whispered, horrified. "Leaving everyone behind." Emma finished. Bella bit her lip. "I don't know if I could do that." she whispered to herself.

"We have to. We can't go on land and everyone wouldn't agree to being a mermaid." I said firmly. "How are we going to..?" decided Bella. "Simple. We fake our own deaths." Cleo flinched. "We'll make it look like a shark attack. We could drag the boat out and make it look like we fought for our lives and lost." I continued. Emma nodded. "I'll help you. Bella and Cleo can go to the cave and get the rest of the stuff we'll need. It's a good thing we keep a secret stash of our valuables here." A year ago Cleo came up with the idea of hiding all of our precious items in the mangroves surrounding Mako. We bought a water proof bag for each of us and proceeded to hide the bags in separate places of the mangroves. Later, Emma joined in and hid her's as well.

The bags carried things we loved, such as the mermaid lockets we got from Miss Chatham, and various knick knacks we collected on both land and sea. It also held all the evidence we had that was about mermaids. Emma and Bella shared a look. Awkwardly shuffling to Cleo, she grasped her hand and gently nudged her to the water. "Come on. We should get this over with. The faster, the better." With two splashes, Cleo and Bella disappeared out of the moon pool.

"Rikki, you know we can't stay here. Even if we fake our deaths, they'll be sweeping the whole area for our bodies." Emma pointed out. I nodded. "I know, we'll tell Cleo after we're done with the Zodiac." I said. With a single splash, I exited the moon pool, Emma close behind. Swiftly turning left, I quickly swam to the other side of the island, where Cleo left the Zodiac, Emma right beside me.

Popping up, I groaned when I realized it was on shore. Meaning we had to physically crawl and retrieve it. "Alright, I can do this." I muttered. Lazily swimming to about three feet of water, I impatiently waited for the wave to drag me to the shore. A few seconds later, I was pushed forward. For about 10 seconds I cruised forward, then I dug my fingers into the sea floor as the wave slowly pulled back. Then, inch by inch I dragged myself onto land.

Huffing and puffing, I hurriedly grasped the rope attached to the zodiac. "Rikki! Pass me the rope!" yelled Emma. Bunching the rope up, I threw it to Emma. Grabbing the rope, Emma began to drag it out to sea. I groaned when I realized that I had to drag myself back to the water. "Come on Rikki, you can do this!" I muttered to myself. Gripping the sand, I slowly began to drag myself into the surf. Slowly but surely I dragged myself to where a wave could pick me up and drag me to sea. That's what the waves did. Within seconds I was speeding to Emma.

"Emma! Wait a second!" Shooting forward I grabbed another rope on the Zodiac. "Let's do this thing!" Emma and I sped up, quickly dragging the heavy boat a few hundred feet away from the island. "So... how are we going to make this look like a shark attack?" muttered, lost. Emma bit her lip. "Ah! Maybe I could strike it with lightning!" I exclaimed. "Rikki I don't think-" Too late. I clenched my hand, and to my surprise, it didn't get struck by lightning. No, it did something else.

Bubbling hot magma dripped onto the empty Zodiac. Emma and I had already gotten what we needed from the Zodiac. "Rikki... is that what I think it is?" I nodded dumbly. "If your talking about the lava absolutely destroying the Zodiac, than... yeah." I stated. We watched in amazed horror as the lava quickly devoured the Zodiac, then was cooled by the water beneath it. "Rikki, I don't think we just got a new tail and gills. I think it upgraded our powers as well." I nodded in agreement. "What do you think you can do?" I asked. Emma shrugged. "Let's find out later, we need to tell Bella and Cleo our powers have been upgraded." I nodded.

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><p><strong>7:17AM. <strong>I looked over at the depressed Cleo beside me. "Come on, cheer up. It can't be that bad." I said. Cleo glared at me. "I'm never going to see Lewis, or Dad, or Kim, or Sam ever again!" she wailed. I flinched. "I'm just trying to look to the positive side Cleo. Your not the only one who has someone we're probably never going to see again." I scolded. _Mom... Dad... Will. _

"I know. But it's just..." she began to cry again. I frowned. "Cleo, how about you get Rikki's and your bag and I'll get Emma's and mine. Okay? Meet up here in 10 minutes." Cleo nodded. With a flick of a tail, I was swimming to the north side of the island, where Emma and I hid our bags. Darting between the mangroves, I dodged various sea life, including what looked to be a shark.

Looking around, I spotted the large expanse of rocks that held Emma's and my bag. Quickly, I dove to the large rock on the right side of the group of rocks. Slightly shifting it out of the way, I put my hand inside, and surely, I gripped a strap. With a quick jerk, My water proof messenger bag was free. My waterproof bag had very long adjustable straps, with a large bag part of it. It was full of air and water sealed pockets that I could use to hold things. The bag had cost a fortune, with a very guarantee (10 years) of life underwater. It was the color beige, with a plastic clip and zipper keeping it from opening.

Putting the strap over my shoulder, I swam to the middle of the group of rocks. There, I slammed my tail against a rock, sliding it out of the way. Emma's bag was a black backpack/suitcase. She could carry it like a suitcase, but it had straps on the side, indicating it's backpack origins. Holding the backpack securely, I began to swim to where Cleo and I were meeting. Soon, I saw Cleo anxiously waiting on an underwater rock. Her green tail flickered back and forth.

In her arms was a large satchel and another messenger bag. The satchel was Rikki's and was a pretty pale yellow color. The messenger bag was Cleo's and was a navy blue with a very long strap, but was adjusted so that it hit her tail hip. "_Cleo!" _Cleo turned around quickly. _"Bella!... wait... we're underwater!" _I pointed to the surface. Cleo nodded. With a sharp flick, I popped above the surface of the water. A second later Cleo emerged.

"Did we just!?" exclaimed Cleo. I nodded. "We talked underwater. But... your mouth wasn't moving." I stated in confusion. Cleo quickly connected the dots. "Telepathy. That's the only explanation." she said. I looked at her, shocked. "You mean we could...!?" Cleo nearly burst in excitement. "We need to tell Rikki and Emma this!" Cleo turned around, and dunked under the surface. "Wait for me!"

I dove under, and with a twist of a tail, I was speeding after Cleo.

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><p><strong>7:58AM. <strong>"Looks like we beat them here." I stated. Rikki nodded in agreement. I took the extra time to study the new changes in myself. I was actually taller now, and more developed as well. My tail was once around 3 3/4 feet long, but now it felt 4 1/2 feet long. My hair was longer too. Way longer. It also lightened a bit, looking almost platinum blonde. "Rikki, is there anything different about me now?" I asked.

Rikki hummed. "Well, your eyes-" I interrupted. "My eyes are what?" Rikki gave me an annoyed look. "Your eyes are a really light blue. And it has little flecks of silver in it. I blinked. "Your eyes are different too." Rikki rose an eyebrow. "How different?" she asked, interested. I hummed, looking at her eyes. "There this really hazel almost gold color. It very pretty though." I pointed out. "Cool." muttered Rikki.

A splash of water caught our attention. "Rikki! Emma! You wouldn't believe what just happened!" cried an excited Cleo. Rikki and I shared a look. It must have been major to get her out of a depressed state. "Calm down." said Bella, heaving herself up onto the rocks. "We have something to tell you too." said Rikki. Bella blinked. "How about you guys start first then. Oh, here's your bags." Bella handed over our bags.

"Our powers are upgraded." I said. Rikki nodded. "Really?" asked Bella. "Rikki was trying to make lightning hit the Zodiac- and I accidently created Lava" Rikki finished. "Lava!" cried Cleo. Bella grinned. "That's really cool." she stated. "What about ours?" asked an excited Cleo. "We can test it out later. What were you going to tell us?" I interjected.

"We spoke underwater." Rikki looked at Cleo. "Are you serious? Like bubbles coming out and everything?" Cleo shook her head. "We spoke telepathically." I was starting to get interested in this, not that I wasn't before. "Like X-men and stuff?" asked Rikki. Bella nodded. "Awesome." Rikki grinned. "We have some bad news, as well. As you know, if we don't turn up, the police will start looking for us. That means they'll look Mako island over again and again. We can't stay here now. We can come back later, but... we can't stay at Mako." Cleo paled. "No Mako? But this is our home! What would we do if we can't stay here!?"

I grinned. "Simple, we see the world. Mermaid style." Bella looked at me, incredulous. "Mermaid style?" I nodded, opening my bag and retrieving a plastic sheet. This is a map of the world's oceans. We can go explore the world. I also have a compass. We'll come back to Mako. In a year. They'll have called off the searches by then." I explained.

"But-" Rikki interrupted. "It sounds like fun and all, but we have to plan this." she said, uncharacteristically logical. "What does everyone have in their bag?" she asked. I realized what she was trying to do. If everyone knew what was in everyone's bag, we could better help us for the trip. "I have a wet brush, which is a brush made for brushing wet hair. I have the mermaid locket, and I have a lot of seashells. I have an underwater camera and around ten rolls of camera space. I have a dolphin whistle, and some statues Bella and I made. I have a bracelet, and a pair of earrings. Oh, I have a few diaries, some of them are empty, some money, and a pen." Cleo listed.

"I'll go next. I have some money, a sponge, a few rubber bands, and some pictures." Bella opened another pocket. "I have a diving watch, some scales and teeth from animals, a comb, and a few statues Cleo and I made. I also have some pearls, a hunting knife, and a wooden flute." She finished. "A sponge?" Rikki looked at her. Bella blushed. "It's for your tail, it's used to keep algae and barnacles from growing on your tail!" she exclaimed. The rest of us Ahhed.

"Emma?" I hummed. "I have my map and compass, a first aid kit, a needle and thread for sewing, and some pictures. I have a headband, my mermaid locket, some really long necklaces, and more than a few spare parts of all of our bags so that if one gets torn, I can fix it." They all stared at me. I huffed. "Its better to be over prepared than under prepared!" I cited. "Okay...?" murmured Rikki.

"I guess its my turn now." said Rikki. "I have some dead coral, colorful stones, and lots of money. I also have a mermaid locket, that mermaid book Lewis found-" I interrupted. "Didn't Lewis destroy it?" I asked. Rikki smirked. "Do you honestly think I'd let him burn it when it had actual info in it that's true? Please. Can I finish telling you what's in my bag now?" I nodded, impressed by her quick thinking. "Anyway, I have some string, lots of bracelets, and some trinkets I found on the ocean floor." Rikki informed. We all nodded.

"So, where do you guys want to go first?" I asked, Pulling the map out, I then folded it into it's larger side. The map was very detailed, and was about the size of a small dinner table. "I think we should go to New Zealand. It's the closest country to us that's not Australia. Besides, I've always wanted to go there." said Bella. I nodded in agreement. "I just realized something. If there is a moon pool in Ireland, and there's one here, there's probably one somewhere else." stated Cleo.

"That means... there's possibly more of us out there!" I said, shocked. "You know that time where I went back to Ireland for a week? I remember the moonstone necklace from here glowed and actually led me to my moon pool. That means that if there's one in New Zealand, the moonstones will lead us there." stated Bella. I grinned. "We could stay at the moon pools if we find them for a week or more." I pointed out. "So we're going to take a year-long trip around the oceans. We'll come back here next year on this day. June 17th." Bella said. We all nodded.

We quickly packed up our stuff, putting our bags on. "So... who wants to find out what's new about our powers?" Cleo asked, grinning. "I do." With that said, Bella dived under the water, exiting the moon pool. I smiled, and with a splash the rest of us exited the moon pool. We found Bella near the entrance of the moon pool above the water waist up. "Alright, so we know Rikki has lava as her new power. I'll try next." stated Bella.

With a twist of her wrist everyone gaped as atleast 12 feet of water became jelly. Bella didn't stop there. To our surprise, the jelly began to form into another shape. It compressed, getting smaller and smaller. They jelly was now the shape of a mermaid, and with a firm flick of a wrist, it became crystal. "You can control the shape of your jelly now! And... its really powerful!" chirped Cleo. Bella grinned. "I didn't even sweat when I did that. It would have made me be exhausted before but now..."

"Me next!" chirped Cleo. Putting her hand into its signature movement, we were surprised when nothing happened. Cleo tried again. Then, we noticed something. It was darker. A droplet hit my face. Looking up, we were shocked to see a storm above us, when it was sunny before. "Cleo, you just created a storm. You didn't even need me or Emma!" cried Rikki.

Cleo was happy. "I can make storms. Awesome!" she said happily. Then, with a quick movement of her hand, the storm went away. I swam to the front. "I guess it my turn now." Putting my hand into a stop movement, I kept both one eye on the sky and the water. Then, I saw it. The clouds grew, and soon, it was snowing. Ice cubes were forming around me, chilling the surrounding water. "Awesome." I whispered to myself.

"Emma, could you banish it now?" I blinked. Oohing, I stopped the snowstorm, and unfroze the icy water. "So, our powers and our species got upgraded, what else?" muttered Rikki. Bella grinned. "We have to show you the underwater talking." She then dove under the surface. All of us followed her. _"Can_ _you hear me? Rikki? Emma?" _I gaped at her. _"You talking!... I'm talking!... Our mouths aren't moving!" _Bella grinned. _"Cool, Right?" _I nodded.

_"We should get leaving, now. We can make it to New Zealand in a week at the slowest, a day or two at our fastest." _I sighed. _"I'll go tell Rikki and Cleo." _Bella nodded. Turning around, I quickly swam to where Rikki and Cleo were smiling about. _"Rikki! Cleo! We're leaving now. You should say good bye to Mako." _Rikki nodded, adjusting her bag. She took one last look to Mako, and quickly swam after Bella. Cleo, took a little more time, just gazing to the beloved island. With a single splash, Cleo followed after Rikki.

_"...This isn't really good bye, Mako. We'll be back in a year. Wait for us, will you?..." _I took one last look. Then, I turned. With a flick of a tail, I was following the others.

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><p><strong>Done! I'm so happy. I've wanted to do this story for awhile and it's been bugging me. ~FireKitsune313.<strong>


	2. A Sister's Promise and a New Bond!

**Hello, and thank you for taking an interest in this book. Comment or Message me if you have any questions ~FireKitsune313**

**Bold: Empathized Actions or Words**

_Italic: "Mer Speech", 'Thoughts', Dreams etc._

**Disclaimer: I do not own H2O: Just Add Water.**

**Also, I am dedicating this Chapter to the Message: Don't Drive Drunk.**

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><p><em>Land or Sea, what would you choose? Would you have legs and walk as a normal human for the rest of your life, or would you be a mermaid, constantly looking for adventure and getting into all sorts of trouble. Oh well. Normalcy is overrated anyways. - FireKitsune313<em>

**Tide #1: Riley Beckley and the Promise**

**New Zealand**

**3:42PM**

"Miss Beckley! Could you please pay attention please!" I snapped out of my daze. I smiled apologetically to the teacher. "Sorry Ms. Chamberlin, I just have a lot on my mind right now." I said to my music teacher. She frowned. "This is why I asked them to keep you out of school. Especially now after the incident!" _The incident. _It left a bad taste in my mouth.

My sister was dead. She had been hit by a drunk driver 3 days ago. She died a day after. I was numb. I didn't feel anything. The doctor told me it was shock. He said that to my mother in private that it would eventually fade away and I would feel the real aftershocks when they thought I wasn't listening. My family was a hot mess. Mom was always crying, and dad hasn't said a words since Eva's demise.

Mom wanted me to go back to school, saying that it would take my mind off of things. But that was the problem. I didn't want to stop thinking. All I could think about was my sister. I was the one that caused her to get hit. I dropped my pen in the road and was leaning down to get it, when I was shoved out of the way. A large thud was heard and I saw my sister rolling on the ground in front of a car.

I didn't realize what happened until I saw the blood pooling around her. By this time, people were calling the police and hospital. I didn't hear anything though. I could only stare at my sister's body. I remember a person grabbing me, telling me it was going to be alright. But, I knew it wasn't going to be alright. I watched as they loaded my sister into the ambulance, and I was led to drive with her to the hospital.

I didn't realize it though. I was just... numb. I remember hugging my mother as she cried in the hospital waiting area. Dad was stuck in traffic, but he would arrive soon after. Police would come in and try to question me, but a doctor told them off when they realized what was happening. I was in a state of shock. The doctor then told them they could question me after I was alright.

People kept asking me if I was alright. I wanted to scream no, I wasn't alright. But I kept it in. All I could feel now was the pricks of the numbness by then. When they told me my sister didn't make it, I didn't do anything. My mother cried. My father cried. I didn't shed a tear that day. I could only look at my sister's pale, too pale body and ask myself, why wasn't it me.

My sister Eva was very pretty. Even in death, she was pretty. She and I had the same wheat colored hair, but she always had a smile and sparkling eyes that made hers more beautiful. She and I had different eyes. Her eyes were a really pretty brown, while mine was a dull green. But, I wasn't envious. My sister and I were best friends. We did everything together. We never kept secrets. In fact, we would have held the same secret by the end of the month if this hadn't happened.

I was a mermaid. You know, the kind of humanoid that has a fish tail and lived in water. I became one of accident, 8 months ago when I accidently got lost in the cliffs in our area. The next day I freaked out when I had a tail when I tried to take a shower. When I regained my legs, I immediately told my sister. Eva didn't believe me at first, but after a cup of water and a tail she believed me.

Eva was my sole companion with this problem. She helped me research it and we put everything we found into a large wooden book we found at the flea market. I wanted her to share my secret. I wanted her to be a mermaid too. I asked her if she wanted to be one, and she said yes. Then, we spent another 2 months trying to find out what turned me into this. When I found out that all she had to do was be in the moon pool on a full moon, I was happy. All I had to do was wait.

We never had the chance. Eva died only a week before the full moon. I was sad. Sad that Eva was dead, sad that I couldn't share being a mermaid with her, sad that she was taken to soon. I finally got over my period of numbness and burst into tears in front of my music class. I was excused from school today, and for the rest of the week. I attended my sister's funeral the next day. The day after her funeral, I spent at the secret pool. I didn't know I'd meet fellow Mer that day.

* * *

><p><strong>4:25PM. <strong>"Look!_ Look at the moonstones!" _cried Cleo. I looked down at my necklace. It was glowing, and was tugging hard at my neck, trying to lead me somewhere. _"There's actually a moon pool in New Zealand. Who would've thought." _muttered Emma. I smiled, happily speeding up. _"Do you think we'll find other mermaids?" _I asked, being excited. _"I hope there friendly though. Remember Charlotte." _stated Rikki. I frowned. _"Maybe there nice!" _said Cleo. I hummed.

_"Look! The moonstones getting brighter!"_ I said. _"We're getting closer then." _realized Emma. I smiled mischievously. _"Race you there!" _With a flick of a tail I was sent rocketing forward. _"Bella! Wait up!" _cried Cleo. Soon all of us we in the race of getting to the moon pool first. I stopped. The others stopped behind me. _"What is it Bella?" _asked Emma.

_"Watch out guys and be careful. They are humans within the area." _I stated. Warily glancing around, I hurriedly swam, following the tug of the moonstone. It led us to an abandoned cliff area, with fierce waves crashing against the cliffs with a harsh smack. "_There's nothing here." _said a confused Cleo. _"Wait. The moonstone is jerking down! That must mean the moon pool is in the cliffs." _I said. Following the tug, I swam deeper, almost to the sea floor. Then, I noticed it. There was an opening in the cliff. I swam to it, followed by the others.

Entering the tunnel, I swam another 20 feet up. _"Look at the tunnel guys." _whispered Cleo. Then we noticed it. Shimmering green stones decorated the tunnel, giving it an eerie glow. _"The stones are moonstones!" _cried Emma. _"Amazing." _whispered Cleo. _"This is a really long tunnel." _stated Rikki. Then, I saw the ending. With a quick flick of a tail I was at the opening of the moon pool. Taking in a deep breath of fresh air, I never noticed another mermaid on the other side of the moon pool. "Oh my-" a unfamiliar voice said.

I whipped around, only to stare at the girl in front of me. "Bella what's-" a gasp was heard as I stared at the other mermaid in the moon pool. "Your a-" I smiled. "A mermaid?" I said. The others stared at the mermaid as well. "I thought I was the only one." admitted the girl. The girl had a golden tail, so she wasn't eighteen yet. She looked more in the pre-teen age.

She had wheat colored hair with dull green eyes. A splay of freckles came across her nose, and she had red rimmed eyes. She had been crying. "My name is Bella. What's yours?" I asked, smiling at the fellow Mer. "My name is Riley. Riley Beckley." she whispered. "My name is Cleo Setori! Nice to meet you." said Cleo. "My name is Emma. Its a pleasure." Emma greeted. "Rikki." Rikki grunted.

"I have so many questions to ask you." admitted the girl, a slight blush of embarrassment on her face. "Well, ask away. We are happy to answer any of your questions." chirped Cleo. The girl to in a deep breath. "Why are your tails different colors?" she asked. "They used to be the same color as yours. After our 18th birthday we got moonstruck and ended up with new tails and powers." I informed. "Cool. Is that, gills?" she asked. I smiled. "After your 18th birthday you become a true mermaid. Meaning, you are stuck in this form forever. No changing back to legs." I said.

"Oh. So, I can't be... human after my 18th birthday" Riley whispered. "I'd advise to prepare for it." stated Emma. "Why?" asked Riley. "Because, if your stuck in mermaid form with nothing but yourself and your powers, it won't so you any good. You should start buying things, like a first aid kit, just things that would be useful to you. I'd keep them here, at the moon pool." Emma stated coolly. Riley bit her lip. "Its a lot to take in." she whispered.

"You'll have years to prepare for it." I said, trying to comfort her. "Are there any other mermaids with you?" Riley shook her head. "My sister was going to be one, but she died before she had the chance." she stated bitterly. I felt awkward. "Where do you all turn into mermaids?" she asked, trying to change the obviously touchy topic. "In Australia at an island called Mako." said Cleo. "There's more pools?" asked am excited Riley.

"Yeah, I was changed in Ireland." I said. Riley smiled. "There's more of out there?" she asked eagerly. I nodded. "Have you gotten a moon stone necklace yet?" I asked. Riley looked at me. "Moonstone?" I held up my necklace with the glowing blue moonstone. "Yours is green though. It holds the power of the moon, the thing that changed you. Three of these can light up an entire city with moonlight if they touch." Riley looked at the stone in awe.

"If you were from Australia, then why are you here?" Riley asked. I winced. "We didn't know that we would lose our legs the last full moon." I said embarrassed. "Then, we had to fake our deaths, so people are probably searching Mako from top to bottom. We couldn't risk it." said Rikki. Riley Ohhed. "Um... how long are you going to stay here?" she asked. "Probably a week or so. We're traveling the world, looking for other moon pools." said Cleo.

Riley nervously tugged at her hair. "Um... can you help me?" I blinked. "With what?" asked Rikki. "... My sister and I made a book, and it's full of all the stuff we've found out as true for mermaids. I want to complete it. My sister would've wanted that." she muttered. "We'll help you to the best of our abilities." stated a firm Rikki. "But first, we should get you a moon stone necklace." Rikki said.

Riley nodded. "The way to get a moonstone is to use your power on the rocks holding them." explained Rikki. She demonstrated by burning the wall, and a green moon stone fell out. "You have different powers than me!" realized Riley. I nodded. "Rikki has the fire power, which can boil and create lightning. She also earned the ability to create lava." lectured Emma. "Cool." whispered Riley.

Rikki came over with the moon stone in hand. "I can't create the necklace with the stuff we have now. Your going to have to create it on your own." she said, an apologetic look on her face. Riley shook her head. "No, I'm happy that you all are helping me. The least I could do is make my own necklace." she said. We all swam to a place in the moon pool. We spent the afternoon talking and becoming friends with the younger mermaid.

* * *

><p><strong>7:23PM. <strong>"We'll see you soon, Riley!" I said, watching the younger Mer disappear from the tunnel. "She's an awesome friend. I feel bad about her sister though." I commented. Emma nodded. "She is a good mermaid from what I can tell." Rikki laughed. "You have standards?" Emma nodded. "A mermaid has to be able to keep a secret, can think on her feet er.. tail, and she must be able to not lose herself to power." she listed.

I hummed in agreement. Bella smiled. "I'm happy we warned her though, about her 18th full moon. She'll be better prepared." she said. Rikki raised an eyebrow. "You guys sound like old men." she said jokingly. I burst into giggles. "I'll show you old men" joked Emma. We all burst into giggles. "What do you think the future has in store for us?" asked a somber Emma.

I smiled. "I think we're going down the right path. Besides, we should try to help any fellow Mer that we come across." I said. "We should make it our mission." I continued. We all shared looks. "If the Mer is alone, we can ask her to live with us on Mako. If she refuses, we can just give her a way to contact us if she needs to." I said. "Are you serious about this Cleo?" asked Bella. I nodded firmly. "Well, if your going to help, we should to!" said Rikki.

"Rikki, if you don't want- No." Emma interrupted. "We should try to help any Mer we find. Besides, your not going to do this alone. I'll do it too." she said, daring anyone to argue. "I will as well." said Bella. "I'll help to." agreed Rikki. I smiled happily. "Pinky promise?" I said, hiding the eternal happiness I had inside. "Yea." Everyone held out there pinky. Linking them all together, we all agreed to this promise. "I swear to help any Mer in need, and to give shelter, food, or any required assistance if needed."

A bright flash blinded us, and when we reopened our eyes, we saw the moonstones glowing. "Wow..." it was beautiful. I knew, I knew from that day forth we would live by that promise. And, I have the feeling other Mer will to."

* * *

><p><strong>8:57PM. <strong>"It's bedtime, now isn't it" I muttered, looking at the clock that sat on the side table next to my bed. "Oh well." Opening the door to my room, I walked down the hall, to the one bedroom let empty. Eva's. Opening the door, I looked at the dust covered room. It was Eva's, without a doubt. Yellow painted walls lit up the room, with white and navy blue accenting it.

Going to the wooden chest in the corner, a groan was heard as I opened it. Plush animals were all that looked to be in the chest. But I knew better. Pushing past, the now abandoned toys, I reached to the bottom of the chest, and grabbed the cold book of the bottom. Picking it up, I closed the chest behind me. I sat on the floor, placing the book in front of me.

It was a beautiful book. I traced the smooth wooden cover. On the front cover was an engraved wooden picture. Butterflies and flowers covered the cover. I smiled sadly. Eva had fallen in the love with the book the moment she saw it. Gently opening the book, I saw the pictures taped to the front. It was all of Eva and I. When we were kids, with me as a mermaid, and at the secret pool. I carefully flipped through the pages, almost scared to rip it. Eva and I had only filled 5 pages of the book with mermaid info. It was time to write more.

I now knew my goal. I wanted to complete this book. Fill it with all the info I could find on mermaids that was actually true. For Eva.

* * *

><p><strong>7:42AM. <strong>I had woken up a while ago. I just lay in the moon pool, just waiting for the others to finally get up. I looked over Rikki, Cleo, and Bella. Things have really changed, haven't they? I smiled, looking at the fading stars above me. The sun was rising, and the moon was setting. If someone told me I was going to be stuck as a mermaid for the rest of my life a month before, I would've looked at them like they were crazy.

But now... I had gills of all things. I looked over the New Zealand Moon Pool. They were others out there, I was sure of it. I thought of the young mermaid we met yesterday, Riley. I saw how easily we got connected, how easily we became friends. She was strong, and I knew she would go far. Doing what? I don't know. But, I know she will make her mark on the world some how.

I was so happy when we helped her. Told her of all the things we knew. I wanted to help others. Other mer. That's why, I made that promise. To help one of my kind. That was what I wanted to do. I'd help them in the best way I can. I'd help them learn their powers. I'd help them learn to use super speed. I'd help rescue them from the next Dr. Denman. I had a goal. I would live by that goal. And I would complete it.

"Is anyone here?" Riley had popped up from under the water. In her hands was a large Ziploc bag holding a large book inside. "Riley? What are you doing here so early?" I whispered. "Emma!" she whispered. With a gesture to follow, she disappeared with a splash. Pushing myself off the rocks I slept on, I swam after her. Going down the tunnel, I saw her waiting at the exit. With another gesture, I followed her to an area of the cliffs where it was calm. She then led me to a tidal pool area. Hurriedly pulling herself onto the sand, she quickly peeled the water on her body off, and gained legs.

"What is it Riley? I asked, sitting myself with my back on one of the large rocks. Riley gained a determined look. Opening the Ziploc bag carefully, she grabbed the book and sat it in her lap. "This book was bought by Eva and I. It has all the stuff I learned about mermaids that's true in it. Eva was my sister." she explained. "And." I urged her to continue. "I want to finish the book. I want to write down everything I will learned about mermaids until there's no more space left to write." I looked at her. "Riley..." Riley shook her head. "Eva would have wanted this. I want this. If there is other Mer out there, then I'll make them a copy of the completed book. I want to help the other mer. Eva said she always imagined me as a human's rights activist or something." she teared up.

"I'll help you." Riley looked at me in shock. "I'll help you complete that book. Then I'll get you another one for all the new info that I find." Riley looked at me, sniffling. "You would... I would" I finished. "The girls and I are going to leave by the end of the week. But, we'll stay in contact with you somehow. Besides, on your 18th birthday, we'll visit you. And if you want, you can come live with us at Mako when you gain your new tail." I said. Riley looked at me.

"Thank you. Thank you! I would love to come live with you all, but I'll wait until my 18th birthday." Riley cried tears of joy. "I'll have my work cut out for me, with all the stuff I'll need to have before I come, but I'll come." Riley whispered. I nodded a smile creeping up my face. "Now, how about we get started on that book of yours." Riley opened it, grabbing a pencil from the Ziploc bag. "Humans change into Mer by-"

* * *

><p><strong>6:27AM. <strong>"You guys are really leaving, huh." whispered Riley. I gave her a hug. She had grown on us, the little mermaid. "We'll stay in contact." whispered Bella. Emma gave off a watery laugh. She was the closest to Riley. "You'll be fine. Just, make some be careful and be prepared if anything bad happens. Maybe you can make some mermaid friends here." whispered Emma.

I gave a firm nod, ignoring the tiny tears welling up in my eyes. "Be careful, Riley." I ordered. Riley laughed. "Aye, Captain Rikki." I smiled. The girls and I had given Riley a crash course on being a mermaid, and how to control your powers. We told her of being moonstruck, the coral you need to watch out for, how to learn to hold your breath longer, everything. Emma had told her everything we knew of Mer, which she wrote in her wooden book. "Where are you off to now?" Riley asked.

"To Indonesia and Japan. We'll speak by underwater talking if they don't speak English." Riley nodded. "Have fun, you guys." she said half heartedly. "We'll bring you a moonstone from every moon pool we find." I promised. Riley nodded. "I'd like that." she whispered. "One last group hug!" We all hugged Riley. Then, we swam from the tunnel, Riley following us. We gave her one last wave, and with a flick of our tails, were going north.

_"We'll see each other again soon, Riley. Just you wait. We'll share all the adventure we had, and we'll complete that book of yours." I promised._

* * *

><p><strong>That's a wrap! I was a little worried about it being a bit too angsty, but I believe it's a good chapter. This fanfiction won't just be about adventure. It's about them creating bonds with other Mer and gaining friendship along the way. ~FireKitsune313<strong>


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